


Cowardly Lion

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders' Era, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-25
Updated: 2010-03-25
Packaged: 2019-01-19 19:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12416277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: A L/J one shot, showing some of Lily's thoughts about entering a relationship with James.





	Cowardly Lion

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

            They had been going slowly at it, for the time being. It was not as if it they wanted to hide the fact that they were dating, but the less prying questions the better. For all the fan fare surrounding their often tangled relationship, it had seemed odd to Lily that dating _him_ (the thought still caused her hands to play nervously together, as if they desperately wanted to remind her what it was like to have him play with them) should be so quiet, so domestic even. Lily wanted to tell herself it was because they were something special, something different than all the couples who had to proclaim their affection so publically, seemingly trying to convince everyone and themselves that they were in fact, in love.

            “Thinking on something, Cowardly Lion?”

            Lily sighed. It was not that she did not like James’ pet name for her, she did, but the fact that he always seemed to show up when she was just trying to clarify some of her feelings for the man was quite troublesome. Looking up at him from her seat in front of the Common Room’s fire, she replied, “Remind me again, where, exactly did you come up with that name?”

            “Muggle Studies. It’s a character from some American Muggle movie about wizards. And since we all know how courageous you are for a Gryffindor, it seemed to fit,” laughed James, casually settling himself in the seat opposite of Lily. His eyes shone at her, as they always did when he was teasing his favorite target.

            Lily nodded her acknowledgement absentmindedly. He was forever teasing her about how someone so brave in any other circumstance could be so unsure about her feelings. _It’s not my fault that I took awhile to make up my mind about him_ she thought angrily, _he did not make it exactly easy!_

            “Lils, what is up with you? You look like you have the cares of the whole Wizarding world on you. You haven’t been trying to find a way to potty train Padfoot, have you? I’ve told you before, twill only end in madness,” ended James half-joking, half-concerned.

            “I honestly don’t know. Just chasing down random thoughts, I guess. It’s nothing, James,” Lily finished quietly. 

            “Well, all right then.”

            They were both quiet for awhile, James content to stare into the fire, seemingly completely at ease with himself. Lily broke the silence.

            “James?”

            “Lion?” he replied, attention completely devoted to her, in a way that made Lily swoon if she held his gaze too long. Picking herself up, she scooted over to his chair and wormed her way done into the little space between James and the armrest. James lifted her legs, swinging them across his lap as Lily snuggled her head onto his shoulder.

            They sat like that for some time, James idly stroking her hair with the arm wrapped around Lily’s back. Again, Lily broke the silence.

            “James?”

            “Hmm?” murmured the contented James.      

            “I’m your Cowardly Lion, right? Because I don’t mind being one, as long as I get to be yours,” Lily said, hesitantly, looking up at James. “It’s just, I did take a long time making up my mind, and I know I must have annoyed you to no end, and then I get all mopey. It must make you wonder why you bother, sometimes.”

            James laughed quietly, stroking Lily’s cheek with his free hand. “Course you are, Lils, course you are.”

            And so they sat there, the Cowardly Lion and the man who had given her his heart.

 


End file.
